Devastating floods in Dominican Republic leave at least 21 dead and displace thousands

Over the weekend, heavy rain in the Dominican Republic claimed at least 21 lives and forced thousands of people from their homes, according to Dominican officials. The Emergency Operations Center (COE) reported that the rain caused flooded homes, power outages, and damage to bridges and roads.

President Luis Abinader described it as “the biggest rain event in the country’s history” and announced that classes in schools were suspended until Wednesday in order to ensure the safety of students and teachers. The US embassy stated that the rain, which is the result of a tropical cyclone, is expected to continue in parts of the country on Monday. Most of the 32 provinces in the country are still under red and yellow weather alerts.

Among those killed were three children and nine people who died in a landslide that occurred when heavy rain caused the wall of a highway tunnel in Santo Domingo to collapse. Additionally, four American citizens and three from neighboring Haiti were also among the deceased, according to AFP news agency.